Väli, the EDF's deputy head of the EDF Headquarters operations department, worked at headquarters during accession and was involved in the planning.

During this time, he had to give progress reports every six months to the Ministry of Defense about how the EDF was fulfilling its tasks.

Väli said Estonia's accession to NATO went faster than expected.

"No one could have anticipated that things would move so quickly. When the path to NATO was undertaken in 1999–2000, the volume of knowledge that needed to be acquired was so vast. That it happened so suddenly was an unexpected surprise," he told Thursday's "Ringvaade".

Joining NATO solved several big problems for Estonia.

"Several major existential problems for the Estonian Defence Forces were eliminated. Air defense – NATO fighters [jets] have been protecting our airspace since April 2004. There were many big changes that we now take for granted," Väli outlined.

"We are also our own defenders. Let's not forget this principle. We are one of the 32 member states," he said.

NATO protects member states from the first centimeter

"Of course, NATO protects us. Within 24 hours of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, the North Atlantic Council met and took a decision – let's activate NATO's defense plans. This process can happen very quickly, and it is something that is practiced," said Väli.

The lieutenant colonel said defense planning rose to a new level after Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) pointed out NATO's reaction time before the alliance's Madrid summit in 2022

"The prime minister raised the problem that the defense plans are good, the situation where NATO responds after Estonia has been substantially occupied is not satisfactory. This set NATO's defense planning to an entirely new level and pace," he said.

Väli said that NATO protects its member states from the first centimeter with all means necessary.

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